Semitrailer



April 3, 1951 R. KlNsl-:Y 2,547,269

SEMITRAILER Filed Sept. 25. 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 L. R. KINSEY April 3, 1951 SEMITRAILER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 25j 1946 INVENTOR. Lawxb R.

L. R. KINSEY SEMITRAILER 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 3, 1951 Filed Sept. 25, 1946 INVENTOR.. LEWIS R. TGNSEY Patented pr. 3, 1,951

SEMITRAILER Lewis R. Kinsey, New York, N. Y., assignor to Kinsey Corporation, New York, N. Y., a. corporation of New York Application September 25, 1946, Serial No. 699,165

4 claims. (o1. 254-4) The present inventionfrelates to a semi-trailer and relates more particularly to a trailer ofthe type suitable for moving the heaviest objects such as houses. n

An object of the present invention is to provide a house moving semi-trailer with novel means for lifting the house and holding the same suspended while being transported.

Another object is that such house lifting means, while positive in the operation of lifting be resilient as the load is being transported and function as a shock absorber.

Still another object is that such a trailer be of adjustable width and have power driven means for positively adjusting said Width.

Another object is that the house engaging means be ambulatorily mounted in the side members so as to be retractable within the .outline of the side members for greater compactness.

Another and further object is' that said house engaging means be manually tippable to their retracted position within the outline of their side members.

A final object is that the above advantages be achieved by means of relatively simple and cheap' construction.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings Aforming a material part of this disclosure: r

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a house moving semi-trailer embodying the present invention and operatively connected to a prime mover.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. I

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation showing the house lifting means in lowermost position.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 3, showing the house lifting means in raised position.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6--6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of part of the house lifting means.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing the A house engaging means in retracted position.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a modified form of the invention vshowing means for positively adjusting the side members to various distances one from the other.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a prefabricated and preassembled house provided with a liftingy pipe for engagement by the trailer.

improved semi-trailer IIJ comprises a rigid, backfwardlyv open U-shaped frame'comprising side members I2, the latter each bearing two independently sprung wheels I3 somewhat rearwardly of their longitudinal center. Frame II is supported at its forward end by a prime mover such as a truck or tractor I4 comprising a fth wheel I5 recessed as at I6V to receive the pin I1 of the semi-trailer which is held in place by an automatically operating dog I8. The dog I8 may be disengagedv by a manually operated lever (not shown) when it is desired to separate semi-trailer I0 from its prime mover I4. An engine I9 is located at the forward or bight portion of frame I I and is used to create pressure through pump 20 for the operation of the hydraulic jacks indicated generally at 2 I.

Jacks 2| are located in under-hung frames 22 and 23 suspended from side members I2 of frame I I and are connected to pump 20 by the hydraulic lines or hoses 24, Hose 24 connects pump 28 to cylinders 25 and pistons 26 are slidable in the latter and connected to rams 21. Rams 21 are thus adapted to be forced upward by pump 2Q connected thereto through hose 24, cylinder 25 and piston 26. Rams 2l are connected to cross bars 28, the latter bearing pulleys 29. Heavy flexible members 30, such as chains or cables are connected firmly at one' end 3l to the frames 22 or 23 respectively and are led over pulleys 29 and connected at their free end to lifting bars 32. Lifting bars 32 constitute ambulatorily'pivotalmounts for the platforms 33 connected thereto by legs 34 and` eyes 35. Platforms 33 are formed with a concave upper surface 36 adapted to engage and support a tubular member such as a pipe 31 attached to an article to be transported such as a prefabricated house 38. Hook arms 39 Aextend outwardly from` platforms 33 and engage guide posts 40 extending vertically between and rigidly connected to frames I2 and 22 or 23 respectively; Downward movement of platforms 33 in response to pressure thereon is transmitted y to lifting bars 32 and also as an inward force tilted outwardly so as to come within the outline of frames I2 and 22 or 23 respectively.

When it is desired to engage a house 38 or other object, the platform 33 may be manually or otherwise tipped inwardly as in Figs. 4, 6 and 7. Operation of engine I9 and pump 20 thereafter will operate jacks 2| so as to force rams 21 upward out of cylinders 425, cross bars 28 thereby lifting pulleys 29 and lifting bars 32 suspended from the former by chains 30. Platforms 33 thereby come under and lift pipe 3l connected to prefabricated house 38 and the latter is raised from the ground and may be transported. It is notable that .as house or `other object 38 is raised by the hydraulic action of jacks 2i, such action is positive but that the action of pistons 25 in cylinders 25 as part of the mechanism supporting house 33 in transport will resiliently react to shocks received by wheels i3 from the surface over which trailer il] is traveling, acting as shock absorbers.

In the modi-fied form of the invention, shown in Fig. 9, engine 56 is connected to vpump 5i on a central portion 2 of :semi-trailer 53.. Pump 5I is connected to hydraulic jacks 513 which .are

pivoted to central portion 52 at .55 and to side members 56 at 5l. Side vmembers 56 are further pivotally connected -by parallel arms 58 to central portion 52 .so as always to remain parallel to each other. By `operation .of jacks side members 56 `can be caused to approach each other or to recede from .each other to vary the width of semi-trailer 53 so as to `hand-le houses or other objects .of varying widths.

Other mechanism `such as jacks 2l, shown in Figs. 1 to 8 and not shown in Fig. 9, is understood to be included therein as part of an operative house moving trailer.

For economy the engine i9, Hydro. pump 23 and connecting lines 24 may be eliminated by using individual hand operated hydraulic jacks in the place of the cylinder 25, piston 26 and ram 2l.

The principle of these hydraulic jacks 2i will be the same with the exception of .substituting engine power for hand power.

While I have illustrated and described the pi eferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as .lenned in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

l. ,In a house moving trailer, in combination with a substantially U-shaped frame, said frame comprising wheels and being adapted to be supported and drawn by a prime mover, frames underslung from said U-shaped frame and hydraulic jacks supported on said underslung frames, said jacks comprising hydraulic cylinders, rams operable Within said cylinders and extending outwardly therefrom, cross bars connected to said rams, pulleys on said cross bars, heavy flexible members connected to said underslung frames and led over said pulleys and lifting platforms connected to said flexible members.

2. In a house moving trailer, in combination with a substantially U-shaped frame, said frame comprising wheels and being adapted to be supported and drawn by a prime mover, frames underslung from said U-shaped frame and hydraulic jacks supported on said underslung frames, said jacks comprising hydraulic cylinders, rams operable within said cylinders and extending outwardly therefrom, cross bars connected 'to .said rams, pulleys on .said fcross bars,

.heavy flexible members connected 'to said underslung frames and led over said pulleys, a lifting bar connected to said flexible members, and jack platforms pivotally connected to said lifting bar.

3. In a house :moving trailer, in combination with asubstantially U-shaped frame, said frame comprising wheels and being adapted to be supported and drawn .by a prime mover, frames underslung from said U-shaped frame and hydraul-ic jacks supported on said underslung frames, said jacks comprising hydraulic cylinders,- rams operable within said cylinders Aand extending outwardly therefrom, cross bars connected to said rams, Apulleys on said cross bars, heavy iiexible members connected to said underslung frames and led over said pulleys, a lifting bar connected to said flexible members, jack platforms pivotally connected to said lifting bar, guide posts extending between said U-shaped frame and said underslung frame and hook arms extending from said jack platforms to engage said guide posts.

4. In a h ouse moving trailer, .in combination with a substantially U-shaped frame, said .frame comprising wheels and being adapted to be supported and drawn by a prime mover, frames underslung from said `U-shaped frame and hydraulic jacks supported on said underslung frames, said jacks comprising hydraulic cylinders, rams operable within said cylinders and extending outwardly therefrom, cross bars connected to said rams, pulleys on said cross bars, heavy flexible members connected to said underslung frames and led over said pulleys, a lifting bar connected to said flexible members, Yjack platforms pivotally connected to said lifting bar, guide posts extending between said U-shaped frame and said underslung frame and hook arms extending from said jack platforms to engage said guide posts, said lifting bars constitutingambulatory pivot mounts for said jack platforms.

LEWIS R. KINSEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of vrecord in the le of this patent:

UNITED 'S'FAJIESV PATENTS Number Name Date 1,239,771 Collis Sept. 11, 1917 1,289,529 Overlin Dec. 31, 1918 1,480,257 Gerlinger Jan. 8, 1924 1,777,019 Samuelsson Sept. 30, 1930 2,152,804 Hays Apr. 4, 1939 2,256,088 Woodruff Sept. 16, 1941 2,266,866 Houston Dec. 23, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Datey 81,346 Austria Sept. 25, 1920 258,991 Italy June 12, 1928 

